Embodiments described herein relate to seat cushions for vehicles. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to a spring latch and a method for attaching a seat cushion to a seat frame in a vehicle.
Typically, a seat for use in a bus is formed by attaching frame members together to form one or more sub-frames, such as a seat back sub-frame and a seat cushion sub-frame. When the sub-frames are assembled to form the seat frame, the seat cushion is attached to the seat frame. The seat frame is typically fixedly attached to the floor of the bus.
The seat cushion is secured to the seat frame with a mechanism that both positively retains the seat cushion onto the seat frame, and also permits the seat cushion to be readily pivotable from the seat frame, for example to pivot the seat cushion forward on a hinge for cleaning the seat. The mechanism should be easy to install, automatically latch the seat cushion onto the seat frame, and be of low cost to manufacture.
Typically, a twist lock mechanism is used to attach the seat cushion onto the seat frame. However, when installing the seat cushions onto the seat frame with a twist lock mechanism, the twist lock does not automatically latch the seat cushion onto the seat frame. Secondary steps have to be taken by the installer to ensure that the seat cushion is securely retained on the seat frame.